Kimberly-clark Worldwide, Inc.

Kyle Mark Barriger

James R Niedt

Suzanne Marie Schmoker

Andrew Thomas Hammond

Heidi Bauerlein Hopkins

Sarah A Kleuskens

Patrick Robert Lord

Alyssa Kimberly DeYoung

Russell Joseph Brumm

Kimberly Marie Downs

Ellen Elizabeth Pelky

Beth Johnson

Michael Donald Sperl

Timothy A Thorson

Thomas A Ray

Daniel J Grassl

Victor Stevens

Marcille Faye Ruman

David John Enz

Angela Ann Johnston

Jason Gene Csida

Connie May McMorrow

Eric-John Raoul Gilgenbach

Katherine Carol Shaw

Rebecca Suzanne Walter

Alissa Frances Stein

Walter Hagy

Marc A Morin, Jr

Robert Lee Popp

David Fleger Bishop

Kroy Donald Johnson

Joseph John Sina

Stacy Elaine Evenson

Brooke Ann Robaidek

Matthew Randall Jones

Paula Kathleen De Bruin

Paula Katherine De Bruin

Michael Douglas Sperl

Joe Sina

Absorbent articles with front and rear opening features are disclosed. An article may comprise an insert comprising an outer cover, a liner, and a core between the outer cover and liner, a first waist panel coupled to the insert throughout a first attachment region, and a second waist panel coupled to the insert throughout a second attachment region, the second panel being coupled to the first panel proximate a first side edge of the article and the second side edge of the article and further comprising a weakened region. The second attachment may comprise a low-strength attachment zone and a high-strength attachment zone, the high-strength attachment zone disposed proximate the attachment region bottom edge. The low-strength attachment zone may further have a first peel strength and the high-strength attachment zone may have a second peel strength, the second peel strength greater than the first.

Front or rear opening closed-sided absorbent articles

A unique and distinctive adhesive pattern is applied to a base web, such as a nonwoven web. The adhesive pattern can include a plurality of treated discrete areas that can extend parallel in the longitudinal direction of the web. Each treated discrete area can include a head portion connected to a tail portion. The head portion, in one embodiment, can have a greater amount of adhesive composition based on mass per area in relation to the amount of adhesive composition contained in the tail portion. The overall length of the treated discrete area can be relatively short in relation to adhesive patterns produced in the past using conventional slot coating processes. The adhesive pattern provides a secure attachment to an adjoining material and can provide various processing advantages.

Adhesive pattern residing on a moving base web

An absorbent article can have a topsheet layer, a liquid impermeable layer, and an absorbent core positioned between the topsheet layer and the liquid impermeable layer. The absorbent article can further include an exudate management layer in fluid communication with the topsheet layer. In various embodiments, the exudate management layer can be positioned on a body facing surface of the topsheet layer. In various embodiments, the exudate management layer can be positioned between the topsheet layer and the absorbent core. The exudate management layer has a first component which defines an opening for direct passage of body exudates into the absorbent core. The exudate management layer has a second component which at least partially overlaps the first component of the exudate management layer and further extends in the longitudinal direction of the absorbent article in a direction towards the posterior region of the absorbent article.

Absorbent article with an exudate management layer

Absorbent articles of the present disclosure may be constructed with a secondary liner sheet placed on top of a body facing liner of the articles configured to form a pocket. The pocket provides a barrier, thereby separating a front region of the absorbent articles from a rear region. In this manner, the absorbent articles of the present disclosure may reduce the spread of bodily exudates throughout the articles. The reduced spreading of exudates may help to keep skin healthy by reducing the amount of skin exposed to the skin irritants within the exudates and/or by preventing additional skin irritants from being created by preventing the mixing of BM and urine, at least in proximity to the skin of the wearer.

Absorbent article with pocket dividing front and rear regions

A system and process are disclosed for applying an adhesive composition to a moving web of material. During the process, a web of material is conveyed very rapidly adjacent to a nozzle of an adhesive applicator. A defecting device periodically deflects the web into contact with a surface of the nozzle. An adhesive flow control device is used to control the flow of adhesive through the nozzle. Adhesive flows through the nozzle and is timed with the deflection device. In one embodiment, the flow of adhesive is started prior to contact with the web. In this manner, treated discrete areas of the adhesive composition can be formed on the web. The treated discrete areas can have lengths that are minimized through the process of the present disclosure allowing for adhesive to be applied at extremely fast speeds.

System and process for applying an adhesive to a moving web

Absorbent articles with front and rear opening features are disclosed. An article may comprise an absorbent insert comprising an outer cover, a liner, and a core between the outer cover and liner, a first waist panel coupled to the insert and having a first waist panel bottom edge, a first waist panel top edge, a first waist panel outer surface, and a first waist panel inner surface, and a second waist panel coupled to the insert. The first waist panel may be coupled to the second waist panel along side edges of the article, and the first waist panel may further comprise a weakened region comprising weakened portions extending at least partially between the first waist panel bottom edge and the first waist panel top edge. The weakened region may have a weakened region percentage of between about 45% and about 90%.

Absorbent articles with front and rear opening features are disclosed. An article may comprise an absorbent insert comprising an outer cover, a liner, and an absorbent core between the outer cover and the liner, a first waist panel coupled to the insert and comprising a weakened region and first waist band portion and first chassis portion, the first waist band portion and first chassis portion comprising elastic elements, and a second waist panel. The first waist panel may be bonded to the second along side edges of the article. One of the elastic elements of the first waistband portion may be spaced laterally from a second one forming a waistband non-elasticized region laterally between the first one of the elastic elements and the second one of the elastic elements, and the weakened region may extend at least partially through the waistband non-elasticized region.

An absorbent article with a fastening system with reduced waste and method of manufacturing such an absorbent article is disclosed. The method of manufacturing an absorbent article can include cutting a first web of ear tab material to provide a first ear tab that is registered and cutting a second web of ear tab material to provide a second ear tab that is registered. The method can also include providing a web of ear panel material, coupling the first and second ear tabs to the web of ear panel material, cutting the web of ear panel material to provide first and second ear panels to form first and second ears, and coupling the first and second ears to the absorbent assembly to form at least a portion of the fastening system for the absorbent article. The first and second ears can be configured to be different from one another.

Absorbent article with a fastening system with reduced waste and method of manufacturing the same

A discrete absorbent insert for use in a containment system includes an absorbent core positioned between a first sheet and a second sheet. The first sheet and the second sheet extend beyond the core and are joined together to form a seal. The absorbent core has at least 40% superabsorbent. The absorbent insert has an intake layer of at least 100 gsm between the first sheet and the absorbent core. The first sheet and the second sheet are fluid permeable, spunbond webs of synthetic polymer filaments. The absorbent insert has an absorbent capacity of at least 600 g. The discrete absorbent insert may have an intake rate for a first insult through the first sheet having a first value and an intake rate for a first insult through the second sheet having a second value, wherein a difference between the first value and the second value is less than 20%.

Absorbent insert and containment system

Growing community of inventors

Neenah, WI, United States of America

Kyle Mark Barriger